State-of-the-art review of resilient smart cities: Progress and challenges
Robinson Umeike, Thang Dao, Shane Crawford
Abstract
Smart technologies enhance modern life but may introduce vulnerabilities to human and nature-induced disruptions due to their dependence on interconnected infrastructures. The vision of building smart yet resilient cities has taken precedence amid escalating threats from climate-related disturbances and infrastructure strains caused by rapid urbanization. Resilient smart cities embed adaptive capacities in civic systems to maintain operational continuity during disruptive events. Achieving this requires well-developed preparedness plans, coordinated emergency responses, and efficient recovery protocols. Unlike previous reviews that address smart cities and resilience separately, our study uniquely examines their critical intersection. Through systematic analysis of literature from eight major electronic databases, we identify key portfolios, paradigms, and frameworks that shape urban resilience while revealing a fundamental technology-resilience paradox insufficiently addressed in existing literature. We make several distinctive contributions: examining the complex relationship between 'smartness' and resilience; analyzing ten integrated portfolios across technical, social, and governance dimensions; and presenting practical case studies from diverse global contexts. Our findings reveal that successful implementation requires balancing technological innovation with resilient strategies such as hybrid solutions and resilience-by-design principles, reinforced by cohesive partnerships between government, businesses, and citizens.